“The modest bonnet raised … hides a powerful 2-liter engine.” With this ad text, Volvo announced in 1981 that they had done something nice with their compact, until then not very smooth middle class 343 and 345: they finally got a real, big, fat, Swedish Volvo engine. For this, not only the bonnet was raised, but also the appeal.
Unlike almost all other Volvos that populate the premises of brand dealer Bangarage in Mijdrecht, the mint green 343 DLS from 1981 and the anthracite-colored 360 GLS from 1985 are not for sale. At no cost, in fact. Good thing too, because they both have a careful owner, who will keep these shiny pieces of Dutch automotive heritage in top condition for many years to come. The 343 DLS is owned by workshop chief Hoeseni and was acquired from its first owner in 2006. It is the only Volvo of this type still registered in the Netherlands. A nice fact, although it must be said that the 343 and 345 DLS, which coupled the not overly luxurious DL version to the optional, quite expensive two-liter engine (to which the added S refers), was not the most popular Volvo 343 anyway. The DLS was the simplified version of the GLS, the top model of the 343/345 series. Our other participant in this report is such a GLS, but with the designation used later on 360. Volvo brought in 1983 (model year 1984) more unity in all their model names by replacing the last digit, which previously indicated the number of doors. a zero. The second figure told Dutch Volvos whether or not they had a Swedish two-liter block under the hood (and were then called Volvo 360 and 340 respectively).
AutoRAI
The photographed car belongs to Thijs Klaassen, Used Car Manager at Bangarage. He bought it in 2000 from the first owner. It is a special version: a 360 GLS Special, which was marketed as an action model on the occasion of the AutoRAI of 1985. The car was only delivered as a four-door sedan in the beautiful color Anthracite Metallic and was equipped with leather upholstery, among other things. Thijs himself put the 14-inch alloy wheels underneath, as a replacement for the 13-inch steel wheels with elegant, chromed wheel trim rings. “Not only for the beauty, but also because the car with bigger wheels and wider tires is much better on the road,” argues the owner. The 343 DLS is certainly a fairly virgin one by Volvo standards; his odometer did not go further than 68,500 km. The 360 ​​GLS has 175,000 kilometers of experience; the counter, which once had to be replaced, shows 46,000 km.
Folder cabinet
Thijs does not spare his classic Volvo. For a holiday to Sweden, he happily chose his 360 over the modern equipment he has at his disposal. “And just over 1 in 13 driving on the Autobahn, with an average of 160 km / h. Doesn’t budge, about 360.” Klaassen grew up among the Volvos that his parents bought. “When I was born my father wanted a safe car for his family. The Volvo 343 had beams in the doors. That was the deciding factor.” The ambition to own the car from your youth is a phenomenon of all ages. Thijs even turned Volvo into his profession, and has been active in the brand’s dealer organization all his working life. Since last autumn ‘his’ branch in Mijdrecht has been on trial as a specialized Volvo used dealer. “Look, these are our new models”, says Thijs while showing the cupboard with folders and price lists. Interestingly, the company’s workshop is equipped to maintain classics and young timers. Not in the least because there are technicians who (still) know exactly how the older models work. “Otherwise you will never see customers who buy a 264 or 940 here again”, Klaassen argues.
Blowing furiously
Time to hit the road. It’s always a good time to wake up a classic Swedish Volvo engine. The starter motor apparently drags so hard on the crankshaft that the engine – and with it the whole car – begins to shake like a wet-rained dog trying to dry its coat. The engine then starts with a fierce blowing sound, and then quickly settles down, as if suddenly realizing that he has not woken up in an icy cold Sweden, but just on a beautiful summer day in the Netherlands. Well, it was not the car itself, because it is completely Dutch soil. The Volvo 343 had a difficult start on the car market in 1976, mainly because the model was considerably more expensive than competing cars in its class. The 343 had an automatic transmission as standard, but that was precisely an aspect that many buyers could miss as a toothache. After all, it was about the Variomatic, the smart, yet boring and horsepower-consuming CVT. It was only when the 343 with a manual four-speed gearbox became available that the sales figures of the small Volvo quickly rose, after which the compact Dutch Volvos could no longer be ignored from the top regions of the sales statistics for a long time.
Flabby legs
The criticism of the limp legs of the 1.4-liter engine, which with its 70 horsepower could not make the 343 run much faster than 145 km / h, was met with great relief when mother Volvo took the 1,986 cc B19A engine. their Limburg daughter shipped. The 343 (and 345) immediately became a completely different car. Although 95 hp was not the world, the two liters turned out to be capable of a top speed of 165 km / h. More important was the enormously increased flexibility. With the mint green 343 DLS, it is hard to find today, because the air hose to the carburetor causes the engine to falter. Starting and running is all flawless, but with too large a dash of gas, the Volvo unfortunately chokes. However, the driving experience enjoyed speaks volumes: what a fun, now thoroughly classic car this is. The fact that the Dutch Volvos were built solidly shows this green one to the smallest details: everything is built for eternity. Except for the seat upholstery, which was in such a terrible condition that leather was replaced. Driving can mainly be described with the word ‘tough’, because that is the feeling that this old Volvo gives you. The stuffiness of the past is now gone, which is all the more reason to cherish these Dutch models as valuable classics. Provided you can find them, of course.
Different world
Switching to the 360 ​​GLS Special takes you into a different world. Although only four years younger than the 343 DLS, the 360 ​​is instinctively a decade closer to the present day. The appearance contributes greatly to that feeling, especially because the 360 ​​has the new front introduced in 1982. It’s probably the resemblance to the timeless and iconic Volvo 240 that makes the 360 ​​look so much younger. The dashboard is also more modern and still makes a rock-solid impression. A stroll around the dark gray sedan makes me realize that we are dealing here with a premium sedan avant la lettre, a car that with its B200K carburettor engine with 102 hp and manual five-speed gearbox was an excellent alternative to an Audi 80 or BMW 318. Driving confirms this picture. Even more than with the 343 DLS, the rustic Volvo sound works wonders for the experience, as it magically lifts the compact 360 to a higher car class. The two liters performs with endless ease, while as a driver you have to work hard with the fairly heavy steering and the robust way of shifting. The latter is a compliment, because the five-speed gearbox can be controlled very precisely, which argues for the clever way in which the transaxle (box mounted against the rear axle) of these cars is constructed. Even more than its plain-looking, well-behaved green three-door companion, the dark-gray, four-door Volvo 360 GLS has shed the dull, conservative, do-it-normal-then-do-crazy-enough mentality. As a result, it can drive into a carefree future, as it were, as a sought-after, now extremely rare Volvo classic. Blowing furiously and boasting like a Swedish Viking, who has exchanged his heavy winter coat for a chic, Dutch summer costume.